Passenger Dies after Driver Loses Control on Pi’ilani Highway

A 35-year-old Pukalani resident died early Saturday morning after the vehicle the victim was a passenger in lost control.

Maui Police Department officials say the incident happened just before 4 a.m. on Piilani Highway south of the intersection with North Kihei Road in Kihei.

The collision occurred as a silver 2015 Toyota four-door sedan was traveling northbound on Piilani Highway when the operator lost control of the vehicle, traveled into the southbound lanes before colliding with a fence on the grass median, into a ditch causing the vehicle to go airborne and to roll over several times before coming to a stop in the southbound lanes.

The operator and a passenger suffered life-threatening injuries and were transported to the hospital for treatment. Attempts by First Responders to resuscitate a second passenger were futile and the passenger was pronounced dead at the scene.

The deceased passenger has since been identified as 35-year-old Jordan Lawrence.

Initial investigation reveals that none of the occupants were utilizing seatbelts at the time of the collision.

A portion of Piilani Highway between Kaiwaihine Street and North Kihei Road was closed for about five and a half hours as police conducted their investigation.

The involvement of speed, drugs and alcohol has not been determined as the investigation is on-going.

This is Maui County’s second traffic fatality for 2019 as compared to none the same time last year.